Resistors are utilized in thermal resistor fluid ejection assemblies or printheads to eject drops of fluid or ink. Electrical current is conducted to the transistors using electrically conductive lines or traces. The configuration of the resistors and the traces are sometimes formed using a single etching step. The resistors formed using a single etching step may have thinned traces, which sometimes melt when used in the high temperature firing of fluids. Dimensional control of such resistors may be difficult, potentially leading to topography driven defects or poor step coverage which may lead to printhead failures. Because a large share of the printhead's thermal budget is consumed to compensate for dimensional variations of the resistors, printing throughput may be reduced.